The EMBL mobile laboratory for marine biology was delivered in Kristineberg, Sweden, after several months of design and manufacturing at Toutenkamion's workshops in Ladon.
This mobile unit catches up the Traversing European Coastlines (TREC), a two-year European interdisciplinary expedition led by EMBL together with many partners which aimed at understanding the reactions of coastal biodiversity to external factors throughout 22 countries in order to better anticipate their future impacts.
Its goal? Enable scientists to collect and analyse samples on land and at sea directly on the field along the coastline upon the different stop.
A laboratory to be as close as possible to the field.
As the coasts host both a lot of life and human activity, scientists have chosen to focus specifically on the analysis of samples along the coastline. Indeed, many external factors such as pollution, human activity, construction, agriculture, and global warming have repercussions on biodiversity. To effectively study the biological complexity, scientists need to be able to analyse samples as soon as possible after they are taken from their natural environment.
The Advanced Mobile Laboratory contribute to meet a need of proximity by integrating all the necessary equipment.
Able to carry advanced technologies and bring them directly to sampling locations across Europe, this laboratory on wheels close to the field will allow scientists to observe unknown data and answer new questions.
A tailor-made truck designed into a scientific research laboratory.
This itinerant laboratory built on a trailer with two extensions enable to accommodate on a total space of 45 m²:
- a zone to transit and prepare marine and coastal samples.
- a zone to analyse and preserve these samples.
- a technical room
The ergonomics of this interior space have been designed so that all scientists can move and work at the same time in the mobile unit in pleasant working conditions whatever the weather conditions thanks to our polyester panel technology.
The layout of the scientific equipment has also been thought out for the fastest possible operation.
This advanced mobile laboratory boards 13 key equipment: cutting-edge light microscopy, sample preparation for (cryo)-electron microscopy, and single-cell genomics, tools for standard measurements from soil, air, sediment, and water samples as well as lots of incubators.
The air conditioning system is adapted to maintain the optimal temperature of the use of the machines and of course the convenience of the users.
The mobile unit is fully computerized and connected through satellite communication. It also has 82 electrical outlets and 21 computer outlets!
An industrial-type air extraction system makes it possible to manipulate all the necessary products for handling the samples under the most favourable conditions.
The design of the mobile unit provides the lading of all consumables essential for the use of the equipment over long periods.
This truck also has the water capacity needed for operating on the field.
A close partnership for the delivery of a turnkey product on site.
The analysis of ocean and coastal biodiversity at an unprecedented level of detail and precision is made possible thanks to the ingenuity of design and construction of Toutenkamion Group’s teams in partnership with EMBL.
This mobile unit delivered turnkey to their 1st analysis site opens the door to new discoveries.
The main actors of this large-scale project tell us about it:
The context of this project immediately seduced our teams with its environmental dimension. It quickly appeared that this project, by its scale, would become a partnership. Working transparently, in contact with competent, efficient, and pleasant people, we formed a complementary team throughout the period of the mobile laboratory’s manufacturing. This project is certainly one of the most enriching projects I have joined in since it combines Toutenkamion’s know-how and the advanced equipment of EMBL. I have been learning every day about the world of EMBL and it was great!
Mélanie Asselin, Sale representative on the project EMBL at Toutenkamion Group
The main challenge of this large-scale project was to understand the high-tech equipment that would be integrated into this new unit, as well as to understand the extent of the jobs that would be carried out by the scientists. A visit to the EMBL site in Heidelberg allowed us to meet these people, to discover their daily work tools, to exchange and understand their interactions. The major objective: offer them pleasant working conditions in this new environment that is the mobile laboratory!
Franck Neveu, Project Manager responsible for the EMBL project at Toutenkamion Group
I am proud to have been working on the EMBL project, first on the plans and then on the manufacturing. The most complex but also the most challenging was to find the right electrical distribution to power all the equipment integrated in the truck.
Corentin Glaume, Technician on the mobile lab at Toutenkamion
To enable molecular and cellular analysis, we needed to bring the state-of-the-art technologies as close as possible to the environment and, to do so, we have developed, in the collaboration with Toutenkamion, an advanced mobile laboratory where state-of-the-art machines have been settled. We believe that the use of the mobile lab will go far beyond the TREC-expedition with a growing demand for this service to answer diverse questions.
Yannick Schwab, Team Leader, and Head of Electron Microscopy Core Facility at EMBL
During the last year, I’ve been working with colleagues from Toutenkamion to realise a mobile lab in a truck unit. Usually, we are going to stay one month on site and, together, with my team, we will then enable scientists from EMBL, from partner institutes and local institutes to do their science on the spot.
Nikolaus Tobias Leisch, Operational Manager- of the EMBL Mobile Services
